February 4th, 2009 
joel The Democrats in the House of Representatives gave the Obama Administration what they wanted: a delay in the transition to digital television.
In a 264 to 158 vote Wednesday, the House passed a bill to move the transition date to June 12th from the original February 17th deadline. President Obama is expected to sign the bill.
MSNBC reports that a Nielsen Co. poll showed that six percent of American households remain unprepared for the digital transition.
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So we’ve had THREE YEARS to prep for this conversion and supposedly we’re not ready? Do we really think that adding a few more months is going to matter?
I’m so excited to think that the digital conversion crawl will continue to invade our sets until summer!
With stations not investing in their analog infrastructure, I wonder if they’ll all make it until the new date. Some of the analog signals are getting pretty bad.
How many stations are just going to go ahead and make the change to DTV anyway on Feb 17?
Does anyone known when each local TV station is shutting down its analog and when their digital signals will be available at full-power? There is a lot involved in the transition, considering this:
WQLN no longer broadcasts its analog signal. Is it still broadcasting with a temporary antenna and is the digital signal operating at full-power?
WFXP and WSEE are both broadcasting in digital with their full-power signals. When will their analog channels go off-the-air?
WICU and WJET still need to shut down their analog stations in order to activate their new, full-power digital signals on the same channels. When will they cease analog broadcasting, when will the new full-power digital signals be introduced, and when will the temporary digital channels sign off?
If anyone has the answers to these questions, would you mind sharing them with us? I’d like to know what will be happening soon to local over-the-air television.
This morning on their news, WSEE said that they will shut down analog on the 17th.
Yes WQLN is still using the temporary antenna but it’s higher than it was initially. The analog transmitter has also been dismantled. Despite the new law, I would imagine that everyone will convert early in order to save the costs of running both transmitters beyond February.
WSEE-February 17th
WICU-A few weeks after that (tower crew is backlogged)
Thanks for the responses, Jim, Tom, and Scott.
Let’s update the developing situation:
•WQLN – Already digital, still using temporary antenna for the signal. Broadcasting in HD when available.
•WSEE – Already full-power digital, analog broadcasting will end on February 17th. Broadcasting in HD when available (WSEE only – SD for CW, WICU).
•WICU – Still low-power digital and carried as a subchannel on WSEE, will shut down analog and begin broadcasting its full-power digital signal a few weeks after February 17th (waiting on tower crew). Don’t know about status of HD.
•WJET – Still low-power digital, no definite date provided for transition. Broadcasting in HD when available.
•WFXP – Already full-power digital, no definite date provided for shut down of analog signal. Broadcasting in HD when available.
Now for some questions:
•When is WJET and WFXP going to make the transition?
•Is WQLN broadcasting at full-power with the temporary antenna (or is the power reduced)?
•How much longer will WICU be a subchannel on WSEE? Will it continue until the full-power digital signal is activated?
•Is WICU’s low-power digital signal broadcasting in HD? Will the HD feed be available soon after its full-power signal is on the air?
•Is there any chance that WFXP will add WJET as a temporary subchannel until the full-power signal is ready? This wouldn’t be an issue if WJET plans to make the switch on February 17.
•Do any of the stations have plans for their subchannels? (Retro Television Network, My Network TV, Dot 2 Network, Weather, etc.)
•Can WSEE and the CW broadcast in HD simultaneously with any issues once WICU is dropped as a subchannel? If so, will it be done or are there other plans?
Just thinking out loud. Feel free to keep us informed.
WQLN is at low power due to both the temporary antenna and some new interference issues with Canada. WSEE and any other digital signal can only handle one HD source, which means no CW in HD. They would have to move it like they did for WICU during the Super Bowl.
The FCC is now requiring stations to refile for early termination by this coming Monday and show that if it’s in the public interest to shut off a station’s analog signal early. This may change a lot of plans for stations to shut off their analog signals early. I see job cuts if any station has to leave both signals on beyond June (or later if another extension gets approved, don’t be surprised.)